Mexico's Cheap Gas Draws American Drivers

SAN DIEGO — If there's pain at the pump in the U.S., Mexico may just have a remedy. A gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in San Diego retails for an average price of $4.61 a gallon. A few miles south, in Tijuana, it's about $2.54 _ even less if you pay in pesos.

More and more people appear to be taking advantage of the lower price.

"I used to buy exclusively in the U.S. before gas started really going up," said Patrick Garcia, a drama teacher at an elementary school in San Diego who lives in Tijuana. "Since then, I've been buying all my gas in Tijuana."

The lower prices mean a U.S. motorist could save almost $54 filling up a two-year-old Ford F150 pickup with a 26-gallon fuel tank in Mexico.

The differential in diesel is even greater, selling at $5.04 a gallon in San Diego County and $2.20 in Tijuana.

Paul Covarrubias, 26, who lives in Chula Vista and works in construction in San Diego, crosses the border each week just to refuel his dual-cab Ford F-250 pickup.

"I fill it up with diesel in Tijuana for $60," he said. "It would be almost twice that in San Diego."

Gas is cheaper in Mexico because of a government subsidy intended to keep inflationary forces in check.

Still, international gas-buying trips don't make sense for everyone. The wait getting back into the U.S. at the border in Tijuana frequently takes longer than two hours and cars can burn about a gallon of gas for each hour they idle.

Comments

[midtown]

HOW DO U.S. SUPPLIERS JUSTIFY THE HIGH U.S. PRICES? This doesn't make sense.

[JulieSA]

Read the article. The Mexican government picks up part of the tab on the price of gasoline.

[NickNas]

A MAJOR Part of this story you MISSED is the Fact that the US EXPORTS 1.8 MILLION Barrels A DAY of Oil and Refined GAS and Jet Fuel EVERYDAY! Guess who is on our list of countries that we export to?

MEXICO... YEP All the time the Oil Barons cry shortage and the need for more refinery capacity THEY ARE SENDING IT OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR PROFIT!!!!

Funny we can get Gas cheaper from a country that we export it to huh??

Nick Nas San Diego CA

[JulieSA]

No. The price of gasoline is set on the world market. It's a global commodity. This article explains it:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24881660/

[Amalek]

Why not just move to Mexico? Then you also avoid many of the other problems the Bushies created.

[dogman44]

Mexico would be nice if it weren't for the violence. But that's what happens when the only weapons
are in the hands of corrupt government officials,(police), and drug lords. Disarm the American
citizen and we can be just like them.

[wheresthebeef]

Maybe if U.S. gun laws were tightened to the point that any thug with a credit card couldn't load up his SUV with guns and haul them down to Mexico for a fast profit, or maybe if the U.S. weaned itself of its drug dependency...nah, never mind. It's all Mexico's fault. Damned Messicans!

[JessWonderin]

Too many Mexicans . . can't we just TAKE their gas?????